Basically, to reiterate the compliments flying around the dinner table the night I served these, I would simply have to state: Mom rules! McDonald’s drools! {Insert fist pump} A light, crunchy, flavorful breading envelopes tender, juicy pieces of chicken, which are baked not fried. Dipped in this beloved BBQ sauce, even I was swooning [...]Continue Reading

Have you experienced the joy of the Congo Bar? If not, let me tempt you by saying it is the perfect marriage of blondie and brownie. Two variations of decadent and chewy brownies sandwiched together with nuts (or not!) and topped with a ganache drizzle. I don’t claim to have much self-control when it comes [...]Continue Reading

I know, I know, the potatoes pictured and defined in this post don’t necessarily fit the standard, high-class, French definition of au gratin potatoes, but in my defense, I grew up eating my mom’s cheesy potato dish which she always called au gratin potatoes so that’s what I’m calling these babies. The recipe below is [...]Continue Reading

This simple spinach and pasta salad makes for a quick and tasty weeknight dinner. I served this as a meatless meal with these buttery crescent rolls alongside, but you could easily add grilled chicken to the salad to make a more complete, hearty meal. A tangy, fresh, light dressing compliments the tender [...]Continue Reading

Who wants regular old banana cream pie when you can have banana split cream pie? Let’s delve into the layers so I can further convince you that you need this pie in your life: A buttery, chocolate-pecan crust… …topped with banana slices… …smothered with a made-from-scratch (oh yes! you can do it!) creamy vanilla-rum custard… [...]Continue Reading

This simple gelatin (jello sounds better but it isn’t really, officially jello, if you know what I mean) completely exceeded my expectations. After spying the recipe in a Whole Foods cookbook, I was excited to give it a try but doubted it would live up to what I wanted it to be: a jello knockoff [...]Continue Reading

I have two main goals in life: 1) Raise non-smelly, sensitive, caring boys and 2) help everyone conquer making and baking yeast breads at home. I love to make bread (in any form) and more than that, I love to eat it. There is something about fresh bread that just does me in. And [...]Continue Reading

Let me take the liberty of ordering you around for a second: 1) Get yourself to the store and buy some fresh asparagus. Now. (Pretty please.) 2) Come home. Put some water on to boil. A little balsamic vinegar on to simmer. Roast up that asparagus. 3) Throw this pasta together. (Yes, it really is [...]Continue Reading

Speaking of Easter dinner, wouldn’t a cute little carrot filled with goodies make the perfect placecard for an Easter dinner spread? That’s what I thought! So I took matters into my own hands and created a simple downloadable cutout for you to put together for your dinner table (or for a simple craft to [...]Continue Reading

Need dinner ideas for the upcoming Easter holiday? Behold the almighty idea collages below! Hover over the pictures for a recipe title, click to go to the recipe. Have fun planning your Easter dinner celebrations! Feel free to browse the Recipe Index for even more ideas. The little “Easter Make-a-Menu” button will be over [...]Continue Reading